Railroad-tie



V. F. FRANCK.

RAILROAD TIE.

APPLiCATlON FILED MAY 20, 1920.

Patented 1960.20, 1921.

Z .m n w n an@ WAL 1E. FRANCK, 0F lLO'UlSVLLE, KENTUCKY, ASSG-NOB l ONE-lilith?? TUE.` H.

EEIIINKEBEXDL OF ILUSJVlLLE. KENTUCKY. 4

RAXLROD-TECE.

incensi.

Application filed May 20,

To all fw from t may concern Be it known that l, Ver, l?. FRANCK, citizen ofthe United States, residing` at Louisville, in the county et iedereen and State ot Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Railroadllies, ot' which the following` is a specilication.

rlhis invention relates to railroad ties and more particularly tov metallic ties ot hollowconstruction wherein suitable filler means may be deposited and contained tor giving the desired resiliency to the tie.

|The principal object oi the invention is to provide an improved tie of the character above referred to, which comprises separable and independent sections adapted to be associated with each other in loclred relation yet resiliently movable under Y the stress of the passing rolling stoclr.

A further object oi the invention is to provide an improved forni of metallic tie in 'which the sections are provided with means 'for 'facilitating relative sliding,` engagernent; one section being further provided with an extended, reinforced, base; while the cooperating` section carries improved rail fastening means.

lWith the above and other objectsin view, the invention resides generally in the, coinbination and-arrangement oi parts, as arev hereinafter more fully pointed out and errplained, reference beine; had to the acconr panying drawings wherein* Figure l is a fragmentary, perspective view of one end ot a tie constructed in accordance with the invention.

lig. 2 is a vertical, cross sectional view of the tie illustrating the position of the joints when the tie is hlled with wood fiber.

Fig. 3 is a similar section disclosing the position ot the jointswhen the tie is carrying` a load.

Fig. d is a view in detail or" one oi the rail locking wedges, and

Fig. 5 is a vertical, sectional view across the corner of a tie section disclosing the manner of connecting` the sides and ends thereof'. Y

rlhis improved device consists of a hollow casing, oit' pressed steel, or othersuita-ble and durable materiahprei'erably iilled with wood liber, although any other filler, including rubber scraps, etc., may be used and this casing` Vis formed of an upper and a Specification of Letters Tai-tent.

patented nee. so, ieri.

1920. Serial No. 38,761.

lower boX-lilre section,

one within the other.

rllhe lower section has the base l lapped over at its sides to provide extensions 0 which i'it together,

hl which thus being ol. a double ply of inaterial, add strength to and reini'orce the bottom oi the tie. The side walls 3 entend upwardly from the inner, paced edges of the e. tensions and have their upper inarginal portions bent outwardly and downwardly to provide hooked-flanges Ll overhanging the base extensions and spaced an appreciable distance thereabove. Each side wall 3 is, moreover, provided with inwardly directed, vertical, end flaps 5 welded or otherwise fastened to the end walls 6 of. the lower section, upon the inside ot the latter; it being noted that each end wall has its upper end 7 bent downwardly and over theupper enus oi' the ilaps to which they are fastened.v las thus made up, the lower section is designed to receive the top sectionrwhioh fits over it after the manner ot' a cover; the two sections being joined together in a. manner to be her ina-iter er;- plained.V ihe upper section is practically an equivalent oi the lower section; the particulars in which they differ being apparent from the drawings and the following' disclosure. Each side wall Sfofjthe upper sec tionis similarly provided with vertical end i'laps, after the manner of the lower section, and ,these flaps 9 told over the end walls 10 interiorly of the box so as to be weldedor otherwise made permanent to such end walls; it beinp,` here understood, however, that only one end ot the topsection is to be so closed, the other'remainingopen until the sections have been connected together to form the tie casini;y and the iiller material properly packed therein. e

l-looletlanges il extend longitudinally et the side walls S, being similar to the hoolr flanges carried by the lower section, except that in this instance the flanges vextend' inwardly ot the section with their termina-l ends in spaced relation to the `top wall 12. ln assembling;` the sections, the top one is slipped over the lower rone so that the flanges ll' will pass under and rearwardly oi' the flanges ll; each flange thus hooking over the f other and interlocking to provide a joint for retaining the sections together. rllhe wood fiber or other filler material` may then be paclred in the casing through `the open end of the upper section until the tie is completely and compactly filled; the maximum capacity being attained when the sections are relatively so expanded that their respective flanges are fully interlocked, as shown to advantage in Fig. 2. Bot-h sections are Vfurther fastened against displacement upon the sealing'of the open end of the upper box, which sealing completes the tie; it being evident that the two sections cannot be separated as long as the sides and ends of the upper `section fit over and around the lower section.; the end Walls of each section acting as abutmeiits to prevent any relative, longitudinal, sliding movement.

Arranged adjacent the opposite ends of the upper surface of the tie thus formed are a pair of rail braces 13 which extend trans! versely of the top wall 12 from one side to the other so as to accommodate therebetween the track rails to be supported upon the tie;

v a sufficient space being provided between the braces of each pair to erniit the base flange of the rail to pass easi y and squarely therebetween without it being necessary to turn the rail to either side in order to slip it into place. These braces are preferably to be `pressed in the casing, being made an integral part of the upper wall 12 and are each provided with a vertical wall 11 disposed in laterally spaced, parallel lrelation to the rail, withl its inner face 15 disposed an- `gularly with respect to the adjacent edge of the base flange of the rail so as to provide a tapering passage or key way 16, between the wall of the brace and such edge of the rail flange, into which key-way is adapted to be. received the tapering wedge of the rail locking key.' These tapering passages are arranged withtheir wide ends opening on opposite sides of the tie and the overhanging portion 17 of the brace is designed to extend over above the passage so arovided and fit partially over upon the ocking key.

This locking key comprises a rail clamp 18 Vand a tapering wedge 19 formed from a single strip of heavy material such as malt leable iron or steel, and arranged so that the rail clamp member lies in a plane above the wedge member, thus providing a shoulder portion 20 between the members, which is 'adapted to abut, on one side, against the edge of-the rail flange asindicated at 21, and on the opposite side, against the edge of the brace as indicated at 22. The wedge member of the key is designed to take up space and to bring the clamp into binding position against the V'flange of thevrail, making an absolutely tight joint and preventinglooseness of, lor creeping ofthe rail and is rather long and tapering projecting beyond the clamp on one side to provide a nose portion 23 which maybe bent downwardly to lock the key in place.

In operation, the flanges of the rails to .which would ordinarily be embedded beneath the cinders or other material usually packed around each tie throughout the stretch of track. To iirmlylock the rail to the tie, a locking key is arranged on each side of the base flange, being inserted between the rail and the braces 13'and from opposite sides of the tie, so that the wedge enters the key-way 16 while the clamp engages over thebase flange. Each key is inserted under a brace 13 at the widest end of the tapered key way 16, the head entering the latter with its nose 23 preceding so that as the key is driven or otherwise forced in between the rail and the brace, thev angularly disposed wall 15 of the latter urges the key over against the rail and since there is a key on each side of the rail, working oppositel to each other, it is obvious that the rail will be firmly clamped between the two keys, which will of course become wedged in place asthe'wedge portions 19 are forced moreand more toward the restricted end of the tapered keyway. Each brace, it may be here observed, extends over upon the wedge of the key so as to be practically flush with the upper surface of the clamp portion thereof, thus insuring a smooth surface, the inner terminal edges of the braces abutting theshoulders 2O and tending to guide the keys while they are being driven in place, To more positively hold each key in place, the nose 28 is bent Vdownwardly over the edge cf the tie and against the side wall as shown to advantage in Fig. 1 of the drawings, in which'position it prevents the key from being withdrawn through or working back out of the wdeend of the key way. As the Vfillerinaterial consion being in accordance with the Acharacter of the load and in the event of the upper section being depressed to its maximum ex-y tent, it is to be particularly noted that the side walls of the top section restupon the reinforced sides of the base, while the side walls of the lower section extend upwardly Vto support and reinforce the top' wall 12 of the upper section; the hooked flanges of both sections still overlapping one another, as indicated at 4211 in F ig. 3, so as torenable them to easily and readily interlock as the top section moves upwardly when released or freed from the load.'V

lt may thus be seen from the foregoing that the invention provides not only a solid undersupporting tie structure for the rail but one which is at the same time yieldaole so as to better withstand the strain to which the devices of this nature are ordinarily sul jected; the filler means within the hon-like sections providing the necessary resilient packing for solidifying the metallic struc ture, as previously pointed out.

As will he evident from the drawings, the upper section of the tie is slid horizontally and endwise upon the lower section of the tie after which time the corners 9 are bent to closed position.

Although the foregoing may he considered as having reference to what may he termed the preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to he understood that such changes in regard to proportion of parts, arrangement and details thereof may he resorted to as properly fall within the scope of the invention claimed, and which are consistent with the purposes and object-s of the device as hereinhefore stated.

'l-laving thus described the invention what l claim as new and desire to secure by lietters Patent is:

l. A railroad tie comprising a casing formed of upper and lower hon-like sections designed to lit, one within the other, filler means inclosed within the said sections, rail holding means on the upper section, and flanges on both sections arranged for mutual interlocking engagement to hold the sections together.

2. A railroad tie comprising a casing formed of top and bottom hoX-likesections designed to lit one within the other, filler means within the casing, rail holding means means between the sections and means an l ranged inwardly of the opposed side walls of the said upper box-like section for mutual interlocking engagement whereby vertical adjustment of the connecting sections may he permitted. l

d. i railroad tie having an enlarged hase having side portions folded inwardly to provide reinforced side extensions, and having portions extending upwardly in spaced relation from the sides of thehase to provide a box-like receptacle, portions hent outwardly and downwardly along the upper side edges of the receptacle and terminating above the hase thereof, an upper section comprising a box-like structure adapted to he fitted over the 'horclile receptacle of the lower section and having flanges bent inwardly in spaced relation to its side walls, the inner anges of the said upper section adapted to hook under the flanges of the bottom section whereby the said sections may he held against separation by the interlocking engagement of the respective hooked flanges, iiller means contained within said connected sections and adapted to provide a resilient ller therefor, and rail holding means provided on said upper section.

ln testimony whereof l affix my signature in presenceof two witnesses.

VAL F. FRANCK. lNitnesses:

Enw. l-l. HINKEBEIN, W. H. LAUSMAN. 

